Senate Bill 165, which would have allowed Colorado community colleges to grant four-year degrees in seven need-based fields of study, was killed Monday in a 7-6 vote by the House Education Committee.

“They said they wanted to have more discussion about it, but I don’t know what else there was to discuss,” said Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, who co-sponsored the bill. “It’s very disappointing. Not about my bill getting killed, it’s unfortunate for the kids — in the face of 14 and 17 percent tuition increases, this was an opportunity to provide an affordable alternative.”

The bill passed by a 29-5 vote in the Senate, but opponents promised a more vigorous fight in the House, arguing that while there was room for corroboration between four-year schools and community colleges, SB165 wasn’t the answer.

“It’s important to determine needs and develop ways to meet them,” said University of Colorado spokesman Ken McConnellogue. “It would be prudent to have in-depth discussions about this.”

The University of Colorado led the charge against the bill and was backed up by other four-year institutions, including Colorado State University.

Todd said three committee members who voted against the bill Monday told her they hoped she would bring it up again next year. But Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System, said that was little consolation.

“What good does that do for the students now?” she asked. “This was a missed opportunity.”

Proponents of the bill said it would give students, particularly those from rural areas, the chance to attain degrees in fields not offered by four-year schools. Examples of possible majors included dental hygiene and mortuary science.

In order to offer the programs, the community colleges would have had to prove not only that they weren’t available at four-year schools, but also demonstrate that there was a need among students.

More in Politics

With his choice of restaurant executive Andrew Puzder to serve as his Labor secretary, President-elect Donald Trump has now tapped six big donors and fundraisers to serve in his administration, lining up an unprecedented concentration of wealthy backers for top posts.

The CIA has concluded in a secret assessment that Russia intervened in the 2016 election to help Donald Trump win the presidency, rather than just to undermine confidence in the U.S. electoral system, according to officials briefed on the matter.

Ford Motor Co. is going ahead with plans to move small-car production from the U.S. to Mexico despite President-elect Donald Trump’s recent threats to impose tariffs on companies that move work abroad.

Donald Trump’s administration, already seen as the wealthiest in modern history, is about to get even richer when Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s Gary Cohn is named the president-elect’s chief economic policy adviser.